Europeana Foundation appoints new Executive Director

The Board made the decision following a rigorous selection process and Harry will formally step up from his current role as Acting Executive Director on 1 May 2018.

Elisabeth Niggemann, Chair of the Europeana Governing Board and Director of the German National Library, said: ‘The Board is very happy to have made a unanimous decision. Harry is someone who can bring us continuity with a fresh perspective. We wish him every success in his new role and look forward to his contribution to the Europeana initiative.’

Harry Verwayen said: ‘I am honoured to continue my work at the Europeana Foundation, now as its Executive Director. The past ten years of Europeana have shown how a collaborative effort between organisations and individuals spanning the European Commission, member states, the cultural heritage sector and civil society can be transformational. I hope to build on this effort with continued vigour and focus so that together we can deliver an even greater impact for our society.’

Harry Verwayen brings more than two decades of relevant experience to the role. He worked in academic publishing for more than a decade before joining the Amsterdam based think-tank, Kennisland, where he was responsible for business model innovation in the cultural heritage sector. He joined the Europeana Foundation in 2010, taking on responsibility for business planning, strategy development and Europeana Collections in various roles. Notably, he has worked with the Europeana Network Association on the development and implementation of industry standards, such as the Europeana Publishing Framework, and more recently on the Europeana Impact Playbook.

Harry takes over from founding Executive Director, Jill Cousins, who stepped down in March after more than a decade in the role.